68 NETHER LOCHABER. 



to be seen in the University museum of that city. They have 

 been known to breed in Shetland, but never, so far as we are 

 aware, on the mainland, or anywhere, indeed, farther south than 

 59 or 60 of latitude. Is the specimen in Mr. M'Leay's possession 

 male or female ? What is the colour of its plumage pure white, 

 or slightly barred and mottled with brown 1 These are important 

 questions, and every account of such rare visitors should be as 

 minute in such particulars as possible. The snowy owl, like the 

 Arctic fox, hare, ermine, &c., his supposed to change its plumage 

 with the season, the immaculate white of its winter dress being ex- 

 changed for a summer garb of mixed, spotted, and barred brown and 

 white. It is highly important that such a point as this should be 

 decided. The scientific name given it Surna nyctea is in- 

 correct. It is probably a misprint for Strix nyctea, so styled by 

 Linnaeus, and after him continued as most appropriate by succeed- 

 ing naturalists without exception. In Sweden, where it breeds and 

 is very common, it is said to feed principally upon hares, hence 

 BufFon calls it La Chouette Harfang, the latter word being the 

 Swedish for the white or Alpine hare. It was the French 

 naturalists, also, who first gave the name Demoiselle to the 

 Numidian crane, its symmetry of form, tasteful disposition of 

 plumage, and elegance of deportment, in their opinion, fully justify- 

 ing the complimentary appellation. Its economy was first carefully 

 studied, and a correct description of it given, about the beginning 

 of the present century by the naturalists who accompanied the 

 French expedition to Egypt under Napoleon, who, whatever his 

 faults were, was at least neither indifferent to, nor neglectful of, 

 the interests of the arts and sciences. Does the fieldfare breed in 

 Scotland \ We are afraid the reply must still be in the negative. 

 We have little doubt that the bird seen by Mr. Fraser of Hamilton 

 was the missel-thrush, and that the nest and egg in his possession 

 belong to the same bird, that is, the Turdus vixivorus, and not to 



